Candace Parker (Image Credit: X/@TheWCentral)
Throughout basketball history, fans have generally shown more interest in the NBA than the WNBA. However, in recent years, this trend has changed, with women’s basketball games setting records for viewerships on broadcasting channels. In light of this shift, WNBA legend Candace Parker recently shared her insights.
During a recent appearance on the Bloomberg Originals podcast, Parker expressed her disappointment regarding the historically low turnout and interest in women’s sports. She highlighted the challenges the league faces in attracting a larger audience and criticized major television networks for their longstanding neglect of women’s sports.
“The first time they put the Women’s NCAA game on ABC was the first year that Caitlin Clark made the championship game. Are you surprised that the viewership was up? Are you surprised that people actually saw the product? It was buried for so long on ESPN.” Parker said.
Candace Parker criticizes networks for burying women’s sports for many years. (via
@bbgoriginals)“The first time they put the Women’s NCAA game on ABC was the first year that Caitlin Clark made the championship game. Are you surprised that the viewership was up? Are you… pic.twitter.com/Mt4AiI8tuZ
— WNBA Central (@TheWCentral) November 7, 2024
Parker believes this neglect has contributed to the underrepresentation and underappreciation of female athletes in the sports media.
Candace Parker Notes NBA’s Caution In Scheduling Around Major NFL Games
Parker is one of the greatest WNBA players of all time. The WNBA legend played 16 seasons in the league for three teams: 13 seasons with the Los Angeles Sparks, two seasons with the Chicago Sky, and one season with the Las Vegas Aces. She won a championship with each team.
Further in the interview, Parker mentioned that the NBA has always avoided scheduling games that coincide with NFL crucial games, as this could decrease their viewership.
“The NBA doesn’t want to clash with NFL playoffs or NFL opening week. So why would we then put the WNBA? I don’t care if that’s the time slot that they’re giving you. Let’s fight for another one, or let’s find something else.” Parker said.
Parker took retirement on April 28, 2024, via her Instagram account. Later, Adidas declared that Parker would become the brand’s president of women’s basketball.
Kansas City Chiefs President Forced To Address Rumors That Taylor Swift & Travis Kelce’s Relationship Is Just A “Marketing Strategy” For The Team
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce (Photo by Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images)
There’s a conspiracy theory for just about everything, including bizarre ones relating to the highly publicized relationship between Grammy Award-winning singer Taylor Swift and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.
The three-time Super Bowl champion has been in a relationship with Taylor Swift for over a year. Their rumored romance was confirmed when Swift attended the Chiefs’ Week 3, 2023 home game against the Chicago Bears at Arrowhead Stadium.
Kelce’s romance with Swfit has been a giant win for the Chiefs and the NFL, too. She has brought plenty more attention to the NFL and contributed to the Chiefs’ skyrocketing popularity worldwide.
Naturally, conspiracy theorists believe the Travis Kelce-Taylor Swift romance is simply a marketing ploy to help the Chiefs and the league. But Chiefs president Mark Donovan finally addressed the ridiculous rumor during an appearance on NBC’s “Squawk Box” program:
“I’d love to say that it was a marketing strategy, but it is an authentic relationship. And we’re happy to have it, and it’s been nothing but good for us.
I think the best thing I can say about the whole relationship and the impact it’s had on us is, Taylor Swift is an authentic member of the Kansas City Chiefs kingdom. She’s an authentic fan and that matters to our fans and our fan base and to matters to us and we try to respect that.”
